Rubber Duck Derby & Family Fun Olympics

Date/Time
Date(s) - July 16, 201611:00 am - 3:00 pm

Hundreds of rubber ducks will be floating in the Hocking River on Saturday, July 16, as part of Athens Food Rescue’s first Rubber Duck Derby & Family Fun Olympics, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at West State Street Park.

The event offers free field-day games, sample food vendors, a silent auction, and – of course – the rubber duck race, which will result in three top prizes.

Athens Food Rescue (AFR) is a new, all-volunteer non-profit organization in Athens County. Founded by a group of local residents, its mission is to bridge the gap in the food system by increasing food-waste diversion. Volunteers facilitate the redistribution of surplus food to agencies that serve hungry, homeless and low-income individuals, according to a news release.

The fundraiser event will allow AFR to continue to add to its tally of more than 11,000 pounds of food rescued from local food establishments. The field-day events will involve teams of four competing for small prizes. The overall top three teams will be awarded a medal. A silent auction with hundreds of dollars of items also will be held.

At 2:30 p.m., hundreds of ducks will be dropped into the Hocking River just below White’s Mill in west Athens. The first three ducks that cross the finish line will win big.

The first place prize is a seven-day getaway at a Sedona, Arizona, condo with $250 in spending money; the second-place prize is a pampering date package for two; and the third-place prize is an Athens Local Basket packed with gift certificates, the release said.

To be eligible for a prize, attendees will “adopt” a duck by buying a ticket. One duck costs $5, a “6 quack” costs $20, and a “flock” of 24 ducks costs $100. Tickets are being sold at Athens Bicycle, Inhale Yoga Studio, Little Fish Brewery, and online at athensfoodrescuete.wix.com/feed-the-world.

Tickets also will available the day of the event until 1:30 p.m. This event is sponsored in part by Avalanche Pizza, Inhale Yoga Studio, Athens Bicycle and Texas Roadhouse.